Book Review: Hourglass by Myra McEntire

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.
So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.
Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened? (From Goodreads)

I very rarely give out A ratings, because I reserve that grade for books that surpass my expectations completely. Hourglass was one of those books that had me hooked from start to finish. Because I wanted to learn more, I pushed past my internet shyness, and emailed the author for an interview (see note at the bottom of the review)! The characters and plot were written well, and the book had substance. In short, I loved it.

This book does err on the serious side, beginning with Emerson dealing with her return from the life-altering depression the began after the death of both of her parents. She sees scenes from the past, ripples of people and events, and assumes they're hallucinations. It hasn't been easy on her brother and his wife, who are trying to support Em while thinking about starting a family of their own. When her brother calls in Michael to help, Em gets the answers that she's looking for...plus a romance. The only thing I want to add, and this is about all YA fiction, is that when a male character pushes away/sends mixed messages to the girl he likes for "her safety"...argh! She's already involved, it's too late, so there's no need for this dramatic tension. Of course, I love that dramatic tension...I just really wanted to point that out.

Woo, there were a couple twists in this book that had me shocked. I literally had to reread certain passages because I couldn't believe what had just been revealed. I thought the pacing of the book was excellent, and while the twists surprised me, they were perfectly timed in the overall plot. I'm looking forward to watching how things resolve themselves in the upcoming books.

This is another strong title from Egmont, and I can't wait for the next book in the series to be released. The great news is that McEntire has already sold the sequel (hurrah!), and according to her blog there are numerous other stories taking place in the Hourglass universe.

Hourglass
By Myra McEntire
Published by Egmont USA
408 Pages
Release Date: June 14, 2011
Received for review
Rating: A

I've got an interview with Myra in the works, so keep an eye out for that over the next fews weeks. I'm also going to plug the big pre-order contest she's hosting over at her blog. Here's a link: http://myramcentire.blogspot.com/2011/05/preorderhourglass-epic-giveaway.html